Comments on: Change the Things You Can Change

By: Kimberly Ben

Kimberly Ben — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:32:52 +0000

Lori, learning when to say no to a client or learning which clients to avoid working with was unexpectedly one of the most important freelancing lessons I've learned. I've faced it all (as I'm sure most of us have): low pay, ridiculous parameters, and definitely high stress jobs.

Sometimes it's simply a matter of educating them and explaining how you work. Then everything is hunky-dory. But sometimes what you said is true: "not all clients are worth saving."

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:12:23 +0000

Amen, Wendy. There IS only so much we can do. And while there will always be a few who will never get it, there are those who may. Mind you, I said may. Sometimes they're just set in their ways. :)

I'm with you on the parameters. If it doesn't make sense or seems impossible, I'm pushing back. If they balk, I'm gone. I can't be everyone's miracle worker. There's rarely anything in that equation for me other than heartburn.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:04:58 +0000

Most of the time, I educate someone practically to death and they still insist that my rate for their project is too high or that my suggestions are just ridiculous. I only have so much patience where that's concerned, but I do agree that educating them is a good idea. Someone, somewhere may get a clue, you never know.

The one you have listed about the parameters being ridiculous has been a huge issue for me. Since I had a bad start in the biz, I now am more careful about how far I will go to please a client. Some black-hatter wannabes tend to push the envelope . Asking me to write 6 articles is one thing. Asking me to write one article and then finagle 5 more to be slightly different than the first (they seem to think you can't figure out that they're talking about article spinning) is another. I have to draw the line somewhere or I can kiss my biz goodbye.